Identity front and centre

Being Biracial

Meena Singh is Yorta Yorta and Indian and is the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in Victoria. She lives on the lands of the Kulin people.

We chat about:

• The history of Indian indentured labour in Fiji
• Her dad came to Australia to be a provider for his family
• Her mum always grew up with family and culture
• Asserting her Aboriginality more because of her very Indian name.
• A key mistranslation - Buppa
• FBIs - Fijian Born Indians
• The many ways parents show love - giving you packets of biscuits, cutting up your fruit, and making your bed
• Names that reinforce identity - my Blackest angels
• ‘Mother’ tongue
• Colourism in India v being proud of being Blak
• Getting a lifelong love of learning from her mum
• The alienating experience of studying law
• Bringing your lived experience into work as a lawyer
• The recipe that is the colonial project
• Child protection involvement in Aboriginal communities and the fact that removal of children needs to be the last resort
• Pre-colonisation community structures

Mixed Media:

The Cummeragunja Walk-Off https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2022/02/03/what-was-cummeragunja-walk

More Meena on SBS Hindi https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/combat-stereotypes-with-stories-melbourne-lawyer-giving-voice-to-aboriginal-communities

Educating Rita, play by Willy Russell

Margaret Thornton https://law.anu.edu.au/people/margaret-thornton

Mari J. Matsuda, ‘When the first Quail calls: multiple consciousness as jurisprudential method’ https://www.northeastern.edu/lawstudentaffairs/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/When-the-First-Quail-Calls.pdf

Our Youth, Our Way https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/inquiries/systemic-inquiries/our-youth-our-way/

Koori Youth Council Ngaga-dji project: https://www.ngaga-djiproject.org.au/

Hosted by: Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson

Guest: Meena Singh

Music by: Green Twins

Edited by: Kate Robinson

Special thanks: Footscray Community Arts, Maribyrnong City Council Community Grants Program, and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations.

If you have any questions or feedback you can find us on Instagram @beingbiracialpodcast or send us an email at [e-mail]

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